Life as we Know It
by Hpluvr7
Summary: Bella's a single mom returning to Forks to help her dad. Edward's a doctor in a small town. She had a crush on him in high school. Is it fate? Rated T for concepts, not content. AH AU.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, Stephanie M. does. I'm just borrowing them from the metaphorical toy box. I promise I'll give them back after I'm done : ) **

**A/N: Sorry If the first chapter's kinda slow. It'll speed up soon, I promise! **

Life as we Know It 

Chapter 1

I barely managed to walk straight as I balanced the precariously and heavily loaded box in both of my arms. Dumping it unceremoniously into the truck, I took a step back to survey my handiwork. Putting my hands on my hips, I blew a hair out of my face. My braids were coming undone.

And then I was nearly knocked over.

Something barreled around me, then past me, then around the side of the house. Just as I gained my balance back, another something followed.

"Emmett!" Rosalie and I yelled simultaneously (they must've pulled the same routine on her).

For good measure, I added, "Lucy! Get back here!"

Guiltily, the pair slunk back around the house to face me. Before I had a chance to speak, Lucy did.

"Sorry Momma! I did'n' mean to knock you over we were just playin' tag!" The words came out in one long breath and she pouted as she said them. Agh, those eyes. It was impossible to stay mad at those eyes. I reached over and ran a hand over her head, smoothing down her now-messy brown hair.

"Its okay, Luce. But we have to be careful and considerate of other people, too, even when we're playing tag, alright?"

"Okay!" she chirped happily, skipping back into the house.

"Sorry momma!" Emmett tried to make the same face, to no avail.

"Yeah, not gonna happen, buster. Why do you have to get her so worked up?"

He broke character immediately. His face unfolded into a rugged grin.

"I'm her uncle, it's my job," he said matter-of-factly.

I glared halfheartedly, but it soon gave way to a smile. There was no point in getting stressed out over nothing today. It was a big day.

It was moving day.

* * *

><p>A quick history:<p>

I was twenty when I got pregnant with Lucy. I was young and scared an in college. I had a relationship on the rocks, and the pregnancy pushed it over the edge. It was over before she was born, and James wasn't even in the hospital the day I delivered.

He didn't see her until three days later, when we came home, and when he did, he wasn't very enthusiastic. He stayed for a total of thirty minutes before leaving because "he had plans."

Over the years, this pattern hasn't changed much. I told him he could see Lucy when he wanted to, and that wasn't very often. When he does, it's usually because his mother wants to spend some quality time with her granddaughter.

When James didn't step up, Emmett did. He's two years older than me, and while I am slender and willowy, he's built like a horse. Stocky and tall, he has the body of a football player, which makes sense, as he played in college. Yeah, he's _that _Emmett Swan. He played for Notre Dame all four years. Now he works at Forks Police Department, in Forks, Washington, with our dad.

The only traits we share are our chocolate brown eyes and curly brown hair. But, what works for him looks plain on me. You'd never be able to tell we were siblings unless we told you.

When we were younger, Emmett was a bit of a wild child, he was the Renee to my Charlie I guess (our parents are opposites as well – My mom a hair-brained, sporadic, creative, fun woman, and my father a down-to-earth, quiet, well-intentioned man – we're a family of contradictions). He was popular and rash and outgoing, while I was quiet and shyer than him.

He changed after he met Rosie. Rosalie was his college sweetheart, and now they're married. She's perfect for him, she can take his crap, and he can take hers. I couldn't think of two people better suited for each other. She's one of my best friends, too. While Emmett is a cop, Rose co-owns a boutique in Forks. She's great at it, and she loves it.

Forks is the town where we grew up. It's what one would call _in the boondocks. _Forks is nowhere near any major cities, and it has a population of three thousand one hundred and twenty people. Well, three thousand one hundred and twenty-two. It was moving day after all.

When I got pregnant with Lucy, I took a break from school and moved into an apartment in Seattle. Now, I was moving back home after years of being away…Why?

My mom died a few months ago.

It was a car crash. She hit a patch of black ice and skidded straight into the guard rail. They say she died instantly.

I hope they're right.

We used to laugh about her driving when I was younger. Mom was scatter-brained, and her driving skills (or lack thereof) reflected that. She was all over the place; she drove too fast, had no sense of direction, and had a tendency to talk on her phone, listen to music, eat and do her makeup as she drove.

Isn't it funny how something you thought was funny one minute can be so utterly unfunny the next?

We used to laugh about her driving, and in the end, it got her killed.

How's that for ironic?

* * *

><p>Moving day passed fairly quickly. We packed the truck and the U-Haul, and made good time, getting to my Dad's house in two and a half hours. We'd be staying with him; he needed someone to look after him since Mom was gone.<p>

As soon as the truck was pulled up in front of the house, with Emmett driving the rented U-Haul behind us, Lucy unbuckled herself from her car seat and sprinted out of the car.

"Grandpa! Grandpa, we're here!"

I chuckled after her, considering calling her back to warn her about the dangers of running through driveways. I decided against it. She was a good kid, just a little hyper right now. Wouldn't you be if you were three (and a half) and stuck in a car for more than two hours? It's a wonder she was good for the entirety of the ride.

In the end, I decided to give her a break.

Charlie came out with her on his hip chattering in his ear. He was smiling wide, a crinkly-eyed smile that belonged only to him. I hadn't seen that smile in months, and was relieved that he looked much healthier than he had at our last meeting as well.

"Hey, Bells! It's great to have you home." He set Lucy down for a second, (as soon as she was finished with her sentence) and pulled me into an embrace.

"Hiya Pops!" Emmett climbed out of the car and pulled him into a man-hug. Rosalie embraced him as well.

Dad walked over and grabbed my duffel from the backseat.

"Alright Bella, let's get you settled in."

* * *

><p>I spent the next week situating myself and Lucy into an everyday routine at my dad's place. I got a job at a local camping supplies store and began working to make my dad's house livable again. Before we arrived, there was, no joke, a total of two things in his refrigerator – one was a case of beer, and the other was a jar of mustard.<p>

I stocked the fridge and pantry and set up Lucy in Emmett's old room and myself in mine. I painted over his blue walls a light green and bought linens to match. I painted the furniture white and set up her toys. I unpacked her things and signed her up for preschool at the local nursery school.

I got reacquainted with Alice Cullen at the deli store in the supermarket:

"Bella Swan? Bella, is that you?"

"Alice? Wow, it's been _way _too long!"

"Years! How've you been?"

"I'm getting along." We crashed together in a zealous-filled hug. "I've got – I'm a mom now."

"Oh my God!"

"Yeah. Her name's Lucy, and she'd want me to tell you that she's three _and a half_."

"Wow. Congratulations! Is there a Dad in the picture?" I sighed.

"It's…complicated."

"Well, you can tell me all about it over lunch. My place is just down the street. Would you like to come over? We can eat and catch up."

I grinned, "I'd love to."

* * *

><p>Alice and I were best friends in high school. After college we'd drifted apart, but it looked like she'd ended up in Forks just like I had. She was engaged to a man named Jasper who taught history at the local high school, had blonde hair and blue eyes, and whom she was very much in love with. And, in a happy coincidence, she was Rosalie's partner in the boutique business (what a small world).<p>

When I told her about James, she was thoroughly disgusted.

"It is beyond wrong for him to do that. He only sees Lucy every couple of weeks?"

I nodded over my tea. "Yeah. It's pretty rough on her. I think she feels like it's her fault, as if she did something wrong, or wasn't good enough for him or something. I wish I could make it better for her."

"Those are some pretty heavy emotions for a kid her age. Did she tell you that?"

"Not exactly, but I'm her mom. I can tell. She gets upset sometimes when we talk about him, and she absolutely _adores_ him."

"God knows why."

"_Tell _me about it."

And just like that, we were friends again. Alice met Lucy, who absolutely adored her, and in the week that passed, they went shopping (With Rosalie) twice. Each time they came back with armfuls of impractical and trendy clothing that Lucy loved and Alice insisted on paying for.

I became re-acquainted with her folks, who I had considered my pseudo-parents for a time. It was as if not a day had passed, and, they, too, welcomed me back with open arms.

Carlisle Cullen was a surgeon at a nearby hospital, and a damn good one at that. He was world – renowned, and he chose to work here. The town was very lucky to have him. His wife Esme was always involved with at least ten different volunteer projects, and always had a mug of hot tea and an open ear for anyone who needed to talk. They were two of the best people I'd ever met.

The only Cullen I _hadn't _been re-acquainted with was their son Edward. Alice's older brother was in Emmett's year at school, and I'd had a huge crush on him, which I'd never acted on. Alice informed me that he was a newly hired doctor at the same hospital where their father worked, and that he was, as she put it, "single and ripe for the picking."

Blushing, I informed her that I wasn't looking for a relationship at the moment. I had a daughter to think about, and couldn't get involved with a man. After a raised eyebrow, I hastily reminded her that we weren't in high school anymore. I then spent a good ten minutes convincing her that I did not (absolutely DID NOT) like him anymore. I hadn't seen him _in years._

That is, until we, quite literally, bumped into each other.

I was running late to pick up Lucy from pre-school after work, and wasn't at all looking where I was going as I raced through the parking lot to my car. Suddenly, I bumped into something rather soft, and fell to the ground (of course), hitting my head on something rather hard.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry, are you okay? I should've – Bella? Bella Swan?" My brown eyes opened to meet a pair of dazzling green.

**A/N: So…that's it. What d'you think? Reviews=love. Also, reviewers will get virtual cookies And their questions answered (provided they have any)**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, Stephanie M. does. I'm just borrowing them from the metaphorical toy box. I promise I'll give them back after I'm done : ) **

Chapter 2

"Edward? Edward Cullen?" I tore my eyes away from his to look at the rest of his face, ensuring that it was him.

"Are you alright?" I moved to nod, but winced as my head began to throb with the motion of it. He appeared extremely concerned. I guess he didn't know that this happened to me every day.

"Here, let me help you up. Let's sit you down" Luckily, we had bumped into each other (no pun intended) outside of a coffee shop. He helped me to sit in a chair outside.

"You alright?" His worried expression was adorable.

"Yeah, I think so…" We sat in comfortable silence for a few seconds, before he started poking and prodding me:

"Alright, follow my finger with your eyes. Can you do that for me, Bella?" I did as he asked, but not without giving him a wry look.

"Sorry – Doctor! It's in my genetic code." He held up his hands defensively.

I chuckled sarcastically, but let him look me over anyway. Eventually, we started talking, catching up; that is, until I remembered,

"Oh, shit! Lucy!" I exclaimed in realization.

"What?" He looked confused.

"Erm, my daughter. I'm supposed to be picking her up from preschool, I've got to go!" I began to gather my things.

"Oh – Alright. Um, I guess I'll see you around?"

"Oh! Um, no, Alice has my number. Give me a call, we should catch up sometime." I gathered all of my possessions together, and began to walk (briskly) to my car.

He caught up with me halfway there.

"Okay, I'll do that, Bella. I'll see you around?" He looked at me through his long lashes, (a smoldering look) and suddenly, I felt like I was in high school again. I blushed, but held his gaze.

"I'll see you around, Bella."

"Bye."

In the end, I was twenty minutes late picking up Lucy from school.

"Harrumph" Arms folded. Eyes glaring. Lips pouting.

"Alright! I'm sorry, Luce. I'm sorry"

Her glare softens.

"…I guess it's okay mommy. Can I have an ice pop when we get home?"

I smiled. Of course, anything was forgiven for a treat.

"I think that might be a possibility, sweetheart."

She squealed and did a little dance. I glanced back at her in my rearview mirror to see her smiles.

"Hey!" I picked up the phone to hear Alice's voice on the other line.

"Hey you!"

"So, I was thinking that, in order to celebrate our newfound _re_found friendship, we ought to go out to dinner.

"Um, okay," I wedged the phone between my ear and my shoulder and rolled up my sleeves to do the breakfast dishes. "Sounds like a plan, so long as you don't expect me to put out at the end of the evening. When were you thinking?"

"Ha-ha, very funny. How about tonight?"

"Um, Alice, I don't know…Lucy's at James's tonight, and-"

"Then it's perfect! C'mon Bella, you _need_ a night out!"

"Ahhh – alright…" I relented, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. I glared at the unoffending soap bubbles that had taken up residence on my forehead.

"Oh! Yay!" She squealed into the phone. I winced and imagined her clapping her clapping her hands and jumping up and down in delight, like some sugar – high pixie.

"Okay, so I'll pick you up tonight at seven, and we can go out to eat. Wear something _nice_!" She was talking a mile a minute, but at least I could hear again.

"Nice? Alice, where are you taking me? I can't afford anything fancy!" This was already starting to sound like a bad idea.

"Don't worry about it Bella!"

"I mean it Alice!"

"Mmhmm, I'll see you tonight!"

"Alice-"

"Goodbye Bella! Be ready at seven!"

Before I could respond, she'd hung up. Ugh. Tonight was gonna be fun.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short guys! It was kind of an interlude chapter… The next one'll be longer, I promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Sorry, not mine! Enjoy anyways.**

Chapter 3

I brushed out my curls and put on a loose floral – patterned dress. Accenting it with a slim leather belt around my waist, I stepped back to survey my work in the mirror. I smiled. It was the first time I'd been out in a while, and I looked really nice.

Just then, Lucy skipped up the stairs and into my room. She flopped onto my bed and watched me apply makeup. She lay on her stomach with her face leaning on her hands, kicking her legs in the air.

"Wow! Mommy, you look really pretty," She smiled sweetly at me.

"Thank you, sweetheart." When I finished doing my makeup, I came over and kneeled in front of her.

"Will you be okay tonight?"

She smiled. "What d'ya mean, Momma?"

I smiled sadly at her naiveté. "Nothin'. Do you remember what I told you?"

"If anything happens at all I call you," She recited, "And your phone number is 360 – 825 – 6346."

"Good girl" I stood up and took her hand.

"Alright, let's get going!"

I dropped her off at James' house without a hitch. As I drove back home, I silently thanked God for letting him be pleasant just this once.

Alice knocked on the door at exactly seven. I was shocked, to say the least. Back in our high school days, she showed up at least half an hour late for everything. This was something about her I was happy to see changed. It made my life a lot more convenient.

"Hello!" she called, stepping inside.

"Hey Alice, wait second, just let me grab my coat!" I yelled back, stepping out from the closet.

"Wow, Bells. You sure clean up nice! You look fantastic!"

"As do you. So where are we going tonight?"

"You'll see!"

We walked to the car, and I was surprised to find another person sitting in the driver's seat. I gave Alice a questioning glance, but she wasn't paying attention, so I turned to the person in front of me, sitting down in the back seat.

"Hello, I'm Bella Swan."

"Jasper Hale" He stuck out his hand, twisting around in the seat to face me.

"So you're the elusive Jasper."

"And you're the elusive Bella." His mouth twisted into a smile.

"And I'm the elusive Alice!" She piped in. I laughed aloud. That was something Lucy would say.

"So, is anyone else I didn't know about going to be there?"

"Uh…just Rose, Emmett, and my parents. I asked your Dad, but he declined. Football game or something."

"Wait, seriously? Alice!"

She grinned at me innocently.

"Sorry." She shrugged.

We arrived at the restaurant on time. I gasped when I saw where it was. We were standing outside of _Della Sirena._ I'd always wanted to come here. It was a beautiful little Italian chateau in Port Angeles.

Alice, Jasper and I walked inside and were herded to the table at once. After ordering, the small talk began.

"So Bella, tell us about your daughter. I'm so disappointed that we haven't gotten to meet her yet." Esme looked at me with curiosity.

And promptly ended.

"Yeah. Her name is Lucy, and she's three and a half. She's small for her age and has brown hair and eyes. She loves orange soda, puppies, and the swings. I just enrolled her in preschool here in Forks, and she's already making friends. She loves it when I read to her, her favorite books are Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter. And she loves Disney and Pixar movies, but her favorite is _The Iron Giant._ She's seen _The Lion King _more times than I can count," I smiled as I rambled on.

"She sounds wonderful," Esme smiled.

"Is there a dad in the picture?" Carlisle's question was merely curious, but it wiped the smile from my face. Alice and Rose were glaring at the table cloth.

"He's-"

Before I could find words, Rosalie did.

"He's a deadbeat. He spends his days sitting on his couch because he doesn't have a job, drinks and gambles way too much, never sends child – support, which Bella could really use, and only sees his daughter every other goddamn weekend. People like him shouldn't be parents."

"Oh – I'm sorry I asked. I can see it's a sore subject," He smiled apologetically, and it was similar to my Dad's.

Rosalie had always particularly hated James. She felt that it was a personal injustice that he was able to be a father, yet her and Emmett hadn't been able to conceive yet.

"Is that your custody arrangement? Every two weeks?" Esme cut in (trying to change the subject perhaps?)

"Er, no. Not really. He just doesn't care to see her sooner than that," I grimaced at the thought. How could anyone in their right mind not want to spend _every _second of_ every _day with her?

At that moment, my phone went off. _Claire de Lune _drifted around the room.

"Speak of the devil," I muttered as I glanced at the screen. The name **JAMES **flashed up at me in big, bold letters.

"I have to take this, it's James. It could be about Lucy. I'll be right back."

I stepped outside and hit the button, pressing the phone to my ear.

"What's up, James?" I scowled to the night sky. Leave it to him to ruin a nice dinner.

"Bella? Bella, you need to get down to Forks County Hospital."

"What? James, what happened?" I felt the color leave my face.

"There was…a bit of an accident."

"What? Is Lucy okay?"

"Yeah, I think so…She fell off the counter, that's all. But you need to sign some paperwork. Social security, insurance, all that."

I felt anger bubble over. _That's _what he was concerned about? And what did he mean, he _thought _she was okay? Why didn't he know? I could imagine him rubbing the back of his neck and pacing as he spoke to me sheepishly. What an asshole.

I bit my lip, holding in my rage.

"I'll be there soon."

"Bella-" I flipped the phone shut and headed back inside.

I walked briskly to the table and gathered up my things, hands shaking.

"I have to go – Lucy's in the hospital, and James is the only one with her, and I need to be there, and I need to call a cab. Does anyone know the number for a cab?"

Emmett stood immediately and grabbed his coat.

I began to rifle through my bag, to no avail. Where was my goddamn phone? I'd seen it a minute ago. It had to be here somewhere. Where could it be? I was going crazy.

Before I could find it, Esme came up to me and stilled my hands with her own.

"It's alright. Everything will be alright. Kids get in scrapes all the time. Alice will take you to the hospital, okay? And everyone else will follow in our cars. Take a deep breath." How could she be so calm?

I nodded, holding back the tears that suddenly threatened. "Okay." I reached in my purse and grabbed some bills. "Here, for dinner."

She once again took my hands, this time pushing them away.

"It's our treat, Bella."

Briefly, she hugged me, and then we were out the door and speeding down the highway.

The ride there was tense, with Alice breaking no less than eleven different traffic laws to get us there in less than half an hour.

Finally we arrived, with Emmett and Rosalie, then Dr. and Mrs. Cullen hot on our collective tail.

I almost ran to the reception desk and requested to see Lucy Swan.

"Relation?" The receptionist glanced up from her nail file through heavily shadowed eyes.

"I'm her mother."

"Can I see some ID, please?" her tone sounded rather sarcastic, but I ignored it. Now was not the time to care about such frivolous things. It was also not the time to get into it with the receptionist at Forks, Hospital. I handed her my driver's license.

After a few moments of typing and mouse – clicking, "She's on floor two, exam room 15."

"Thank you." I was already moving on.

"Mmhmm." She turned back _People _magazine and picked up her nail file.

The elevator ride seemed to stretch on for forever, but finally we made it the examination room. I pushed through the doors. Lucy was sitting on a bed in a private room, and her father was sitting in a chair several feet away, eyes glued to the television in the corner of the screen. It looked like a Knicks game was on.

The entire setting was so wrong. It was so white. Lucy looked so tiny, engulfed by the bed, even though she sat above the covers, with her small legs dangling off the side. She seemed relatively happy. I felt the earth start spinning again. Air re-entered my lungs.

I rushed over to her, dropping my bag on the floor and swooping her into a bear hug.

"Oh sweetheart, what happened?"

I pulled back, my eyes roaming over her, checking to make sure everything was alright. It was then I noticed the five stitches on her forehead, the ones that had previously been blocked from my view.

"Hi Mommy! Don't touch!"

I hadn't even realized that my hand was outreached.

In the corner, James cleared his throat.

"What the heck happened?" I turned, advancing on him.

"She…um, fell off the counter, like I said." He avoided my gaze.

"What do you _mean _she fell off the counter? How did she get _on _the counter?" My voice was a deadly whisper.

Lucy piped in:

"I wanted cookies, Momma, and I dragged a _big _chair over, and I climbed on the counter and I got one from the jar, and then I _fell!_ I felled really far and it really hurt really really bad. But it doesn't hurt anymore, _and _the doctor gave me cookies 'cuz he said it wasn't fair that I didn' get any cookies _and _that I was really really brave! They were choco – chip and they were really yummy. But b'fore he gave me the cookies, he had to _stitch my head together_! There were needles and lotsa blood and you wouldn't a' liked it _at all _Mommy!"

Happy that she seemed so unaffected by what had happened, I allowed my focus to switch to her as she babbled.

"Sweetie, why didn't you ask your father for help?"

"Well, he said no, and I said why, and he said he didn' feel like it right now, but I wanted coookies no-ow, so I was per-sis-tent, and he yelled _No! _really loud and I got mad and got one anyways, an' then I fell."

James had slunk into the corner by this point. Rat bastard.

"Sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy will be right back, okay?"

"Okay!" she smiled sunnily, and I wondered exactly how much pain medication the doctor had given her.

I dragged James out the door and down the hall.

Before I could open my mouth, he spoke:

"Listen, I gotta go."

"Excuse me?"

"Some buddies a' mine were going out to the bar, an' I was gonna drop her at my mom's. They're, um, still waiting on me, so…."

At least he had the decency to _look _ashamed, but still,

"You've _got _to be kidding me."

He was silent.

"You put your daughter in the hospital and you want to just _leave?_"

He looked at me as if the answer were obvious.

"What the _Hell _is wrong with you? And what the _Hell_ were you thinking?" I was yelling now.

"Listen Bella, I just wanted to settle down and have a beer, and she _wouldn't stop asking, _and I just _snapped, _okay?"

"No, it is _not okay! _And what the Hell are you doing driving her around when you've been drinking? What the _fuck _is your problem? Do you _want _to get into an accident? Do you_ want _to kill her?"

"I'd only had, like, _one _beer, Bella. I was fine."

"Like Hell you were. You know what, James? I can't take this anymore. We're through."

"What? Are you breaking up with me?" He sneered, "Sweethear, that ship has sailed."

"Who the fuck do you think you're kidding, James? I mean it – you're done. I don't want you in my life, and I sure as Hell don't want you in Lucy's."

"_Fuck _you, Bella. You can't do this. She's my fucking kid too."

"Is she your kid, James? You see her twice a month! Is she your kid when she's hungry? Thirsty? When she wants a goddamn cookie? Was she your kid when we went shopping for school supplies? When she got the chicken pox last year? When she wants a bedtime story or needs a bath? Huh? When the _fuck _is she your kid? Fatherhood isn't about convenience, James, and it sure as Hell isn't about _you." _

"Fuck this shit. You're a bitch, Bella. I'm done here." And he strutted away. He was gone.

I felt the wind get knocked out of me. My breath left my lungs as soon as he was gone. I felt tears spring to my eyes. I leaned back against the wall, slipping down and hugging my knees tight against my chest.

I let the tears slip down and wiped them away clumsily. Sniffling, I gathered myself together and walked back into the room.

What I saw stole my breath away (again). But this one brought a smile to my face too. Everyone from dinner was fathered around Lucy, and she animatedly told them the story of "the great fall." They all listened intently to her. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

Everyone looked up as the door clicked back into place.

"Mommy!" Lucy squealed. Mr. Dr. C is coming back in 'in a second' an' he wants ta talk to you! He to-old me so!" She smiled at me.

"Okay, sweetheart." I moved over to her and smoothed her hair back.

"Hi everyone." I let my expression show them just how much it meant. Most of them had barely known her two weeks, yet they were showing a real interest in my daughter and, even better, caring about her.

I was about to thank them all when the door opened. Once again, I found myself looking unexpectedly into a pair of brilliant green eyes.

**A/N: Alright guys, who hates James? Go ahead, raise your hands! Don't be shy now!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Not mine! None of it….too bad….**

Chapter 4

I found myself getting lost in Edward's eyes.

"Doct'r Edward!" And the world came spinning back.

He tore his eyes away from mine to attend to Lucy. His family chattered around us, greeting him, and declaring their surprise at his being Lucy's doctor. Surprise. That was a feeling I could relate to right now.

"Mommy!" Lucy called me over, "This is doct'r Edward. Doct'r Edward, this is my mommy. Her name's Bella."

"Hello, Bella," He gave me a wry smile.

"Hello, doct'r Edward," I imitated Lucy's impersonation, and it made him laugh aloud. It sounded like tinkling bells.

When I had broken out of my reverie (resulting from the shock of seeing him again), he handed me a clipboard to fill out. James hadn't been able to tell them very much, so there were lots of blanks. Even her birthday wasn't filled in.

I handed it back to him when I was finished.

"Let's go speak in the hall," He said. I glanced back at Lucy. She was chatting happily with Esme and Carlisle. She must've been medicated pretty heavily, considering how little this was affecting her. She didn't even seem to be in pain.

Alice and Jasper were chatting with Rose and Emmett, and both couples kept stealing nervous glances at Lucy, and suggestive ones at us (the latter mostly came from Alice).

Edward followed me out the door, closing it softly behind me.

"She'll be okay, right?" The words slipped out of my mouth as fear seized ne again. Just because she looked okay, didn't mean she was. Little kids were fickle, and she could be masking her pain from me, or (as I'd previously thought) already on medication, or-

"She'll be fine, Bella."

A sight of relief. Thank God.

"We want to keep her overnight for observation, but that's standard procedure for head injuries, okay?" He touched my arm gently, forcing me to look in his eyes.

I gave him a shaky smile. Suddenly, all of the stress of the night was just gone, and I gasped, choking in relief.

Suddenly, I had to scrunch up my face, trying to keep the impending tears away. I didn't want to cry in front of Edward, who was practically a stranger.

I crossed my arms tightly against my chest, and ducked my head, hiding behind a curtain of dark hair. I reached my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Hey." He got a hold on my elbow, tugging me to him, "c'mere." He pulled me to his chest and I broke down.

What was I doing? I barely knew this man, yet here I was, soaking his scrubs, crying into his chest while he rubbed soothing circles on my back.

I sniffled, pulling away.

"Thanks for that. I think I needed a good cry. It's kind of been a stressful day," I smiled shyly at him, tucking my hair behind my ear bashfully.

"I figured," he gave me a boyish half smile that almost took my breath away.

"Let's head back inside, yeah?"

I followed his lead, and he continued to talk, "So, you're welcome to stay overnight with her if you want to, but if you'd rather go home, we'll have nurses here every hour to check on her."

"I'll stay." My voice was firm.

He gave me a smile and I could tell he approved of my choice. "I'll have them bring in a cot or something for you."

When he got to Lucy's bed, he patiently waited for her to finish her childish babbling to Esme and Carlisle, then knelt down in front of her, right to her eyelevel, and explained that she was going to stay overnight, but would absolutely, positively, one hundred percent be okay and that nothing at all was wrong, so she didn't have to be scared, but it was okay if she was.

She assured him that she wasn't, but she must've looked too serious for him, so he ended with a joke and a smile.

It was effective, and she giggles madly, engrossing him in conversation. When I zoned out, they were talking about unicorns, and weighing the benefits of seahorses versus monkeys.

Eventually, Edward had to make the rounds (the bane of an on-call doctor, he'd joked) and as it grew later, everyone else filed out as well (but not without buying Lucy a series of stuffed animals, games, and children's movies – despite my protests that she'd be here for _one night _and therefore wouldn't need half of it, let alone everything they'd gotten for her.

A cot arrived, but I sat on the bed across from Lucy playing war and watching crappy movies on the TV in the corner of her room.

Eventually, my baby girl fell asleep to the flickering light, and, stomach growling, I went in search of the cafeteria.

Instead, I found a vending machine two floors up, and was glad to see that it was full of unhealthy snacks.

I paid, pressed D5, and grabbed a bag of Fritos.

Then I turned around and ran into something rather soft.

"Oof!" We collided and I was knocked backwards.

I looked up and into the face of none other than Edward Cullen.

* * *

><p>"We have <em>got <em>to stop meeting like this," I said as he pulled me to my feet.

He chuckled appreciatively, "Yeah, what's that about?"

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Hey, are you done with your rounds?" My words came out in a jumble.

"Yeah…" He was trying (and failing) to catch up, "Why?"

"Come with me."

* * *

><p>"Favorite Color?"<p>

It took us me half an hour of searching for the cafeteria before I gave in, told Edward where I was heading, and accepted his help in finding it. When we (finally got here, we promptly set up camp at one of the tables, feet propped up on each other's chairs. Now we were sharing my Fritos and playing the question game.

"Blue," He said, popping a chip into his mouth, "You?"

"It changes every day," I replied, "Today its green."

He gave me a crooked grin. Did he know it was because of his eyes?

"Political party?"

"Democrat." The word was uttered simultaneously.

"Biggest regret?"

"I wish I'd finished college." My response was quick. That was an easy one.

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm." I snagged a Frito, "I dropped out when Lucy was born; I needed to take care of her."

"What do you want to be?"

"I was studying to teach high school English. I'd still love to do that."

A moment of silence. We were both lost in our own minds.

"You could, you know. Go back to school."

I shook my head. "Not right now. I need to focus on Lucy. I don't have the time or the money to go back to school."

There was another moment of silence; then,

"Then when?"

"What?"

"If you don't go back now, if you keep making excuses, you'll never do it. So I'm asking, what's your timeframe? It might cost money now, but it's an investment. You'll be able to get financial aid, and you'll make way more money than you're spending, in the long run. So I'm asking you, when will you be able to fit a college education into your busy schedule?"

I didn't have an answer. Was I really just making excuses? No, I told myself. I needed to focus on Lucy. That was a legitimate concern. But what if Edward was right? And why couldn't I do both? Was that an option?

"I don't know."

"You should probably figure it out, then." His response was not smug, just matter-of-fact.

"Yeah, I should."

"Moving on, Religion?"

"I'm protestant, but not really practicing. We celebrate the major holidays, though," I said.

"That about sums me up, too." He replied.

"Favorite food?"

"Pasta and meatballs." I said.

"Hamburger," His voice sounded challenging.

"Relationship status?"

"Single," He said, "You?"

"Perpetually." I replied, "I'm a mom. It's not too easy to come by a man who can deal with a three-year-old that doesn't belong to him."

He looked deep in thought, almost…concerned with the prospect (or perhaps relieved).

"Edward?" I broke his reverie.

"Hmm?" His eyes snapped up to meet mine.

"What's your biggest fear?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," He laughed.

"Seriously, c'mon. You must have one. It can't be _that _embarrassing! What is it? Spiders? Snakes?" I wheedled.

"Okay, if you_ must _know… I-I'm afraid that I'll be a disappointment." He was suddenly serious.

"What? Edward, how could you be a disappointment?" How could he think that? He was a smart, funny, caring, sexy man. (Whoops, did that last one slip out?)

"It's just – my dad's really famous and important in his field. What if I can't live up to the family name? I don't want to be the Cullen that no one's heard of…" He looked ashamed of his confession.

"Edward," I reached out my hand, touching his forearm comfortingly, "You'll be brilliant. You're barely getting started in your career, but I already know you'll be a great doctor. You know why?"

He didn't respond.

"It's because of the way that you care about your patients. You were responsive and sweet with Lucy, and you let me vent to you. You'll be brilliant. Give yourself a chance."

He smiled gratefully and there was a moment of comfortable silence.

"Alright. What about you? It's your turn to spill, Swan." He gave me a crooked grin. If I were standing, I would've been weak at the knees.

"I'm…I'm scared that Lucy will turn out like him. I mean, I know she won't, logically; but there's this tiny little nagging part of me that says 'What if she does? What if she turns into James?'"

It was his turn to comfort me. He pulled me into a hug, and I slid to the edge of my seat.

"Oh, Bella. That'll never happen. She's got too much of you in her. She looks like you and talks like you and acts like you. I've known Lucy for less than a day and I can already tell that she's your clone. He's not in her life enough to have a real influence, sad as that is. It may be a blessing in disguise."

"I guess. The worst part is, if he _was _in her life enough to have a real influence, then I wouldn't be worried about what influence he would have."

He gave me a crooked smile.

"Alright, so now that we've poured our hearts out…favorite band?"

I laughed and responded, and the game continued.

As the sun rose over the horizon, we ambled back to Lucy's room.

When we reached the door, another conversation occurred:

"Is this insane?"

"Probably."

"Well, then are _we _insane?"

"It doesn't _feel _crazy – it feels natural. Right."

"I know exactly what you mean."

We could've left it like that, we almost did – incandescent sun streaming through the curtains, but we didn't.

He broke the silence.

"I want to see you again."

"Edward, I have a daughter, she's my whole wor-"

"I know, and she's adorable, and my family loves her, and you. Hell, _I _love her," (and me?) "I just met her, and I already want to be a part of her life. She's cute and sweet and funny. I won't hurt her and I won't hurt you. I promise." He looked so vulnerable.

I smiled at his hopeful gaze. "Okay."

He broke out into a relieved grin.

"Bye Bella."

"Bye Edward." I slipped back into the room; Lucy was still asleep inside.

"What am I getting myself into?" I looked at the ceiling, then at my daughter. "Oh, baby girl. If only you knew. I think I'm falling for him, and I only just met him again."

* * *

><p>Lucy was checked out of the hospital promptly at 11:30 a.m. Thank God I had decent insurance at the campinghardware/whatever store. I only had to pay two hundred dollars. It was still a lot, but it wasn't two thousand.

We got home, after stopping for lunch ((poor) Lucy would be spoiled for days to make up for this) at approximately one o'clock.

My dad wasn't there when we got home (He probably had to work, despite the concern he'd shown for Lucy when I'd called him last night), but we had a different person waiting on our doorstep when we got there.

"Jake!" Lucy squealed, kicking her car seat and struggling against the straps.

I smiled at the sight of him on the steps; it had been much too long.

"Hold on, Luce, I'm sure he'll wait for us." I teased.

"Mo-ommy! Lemme out!"

I parked, unbuckling my seatbelt, and twisting around in my seat to undo the latches on hers.

She popped the door open easily (note to self: child locks) and scrambled out. Jacob walked towards her and caught her mind-run, twirling her in a hug.

"Loosey-goosey, how ya doin'?"

She giggled and hugged him tighter. Eventually, he set her down and came to me.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hiya Jake." He pulled me, too, into a bear hug,

In the background, I heard Lucy squeal again, "Edward!"

I stood on my tiptoes to peek over Jake's shoulder, and found myself staring into a face of angry shock and disappointment.

**A/n: Dun dun dun! ****What will happen next? Review and find out!**


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